Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1887-12-30
FOREIGN IMMIGRATION.
The Question Discussed by the
Senate.

A bill introduced in the Senate by
Mr.. Reagan to regulate immigration
authorizes the Secretary of the Treas
ury to appoint INSPECTORS OF tmmi-
grafton" to be stationed at such
ports of entry as he may deem proper,
and to receive a salary OF s. per
day. The Secretary is directed to
draft regulations for the landing OF
passengers, and to protect them from
imposition. Power is conferred on
the inspectors of Immigration to board
vessels and remove immigrants tenn
pora rily for the purpose OF ascertain
ing whether they be prohibited from
landing by this act. All unfit per
sons are to be kept under the surveil-
lance of fine Collector of Port until
they shall have been returned to the
country whence they came. the ex-
pense of their return to be borne by
the owners of the vessels bringing
them over. Before any Immigrant
shall be permitted TO land
the master of the vessel shall produce
q certificate for each immigrant certi
fying that he is not deported for
crime, ia not a pauper. lunatic or i'd
lot, not in charge of blood relations
or authorized guardians, is not an
assisted immigrant, and not under
contract to labor in the Unite States.
A bond shall be given as a guarantee
of Disseminated issuing of certificates
on the part of the steamship company
1t is M ade unlawful for any persoa
interdicted By the provisions of the
act to enter the Uni,ed States, or for
any steamship company to bring him
~ this country.
MR. MORRILL'S BILL.
The Senate then took up the bill
introduced by Mr.. Morrill, to regu,
late immigration, and was addressed
by that Senator iD explanation and
advocacy of the bill It's main OBJ
ject, he said, was to have the charac-
ter of foreign immigrants examined
frst by United States Consuls at the
ports of departure, instead OF by
State Commissioners at the ports OF
arrival. The foreign idea, he said,
was that the United States invited
free immigration regardless of the
but the American idea
was that it never really offered an
asylum to convicts, to irreconcilab'e
enemies of law and order, or TO the
occupants of the Old Worlds insane
asy ylcms and workhouses. The doors
were left open only to persons ofgood
moral character. The fact that near
ly 100000 immigrants had come to
this country within the last ten years
proved that the question was one OF
very great importance. The great
American principle of immigrants
was not proposed to be abandoned;
but that principle has always been on
tue condition that the immigrant 8
should be of good moral character and
able to support themselves. lie re-
ferred to the fact that recently the
Mayor of the Athens of America had
presided at a banquet given in honor
of the champion slugger of the prize
ring; and that. If not the will, at least
the political necessities Of the Mayor
bad prompted that action. He said
that seventy per cent. of the popula-
ton of Boston was composed of per-
sons of foreign parentage; eighty per
cent. Of the population of New York,
aud ninety-One per cent. of the popu-
lalion of Chicago, and these figures
might be aggravated by future immi-
grafton.
FOREIGNERS IN THIS COUNTRY.
By the census of 1880 the popula.
tion of foreign birth aud parentage
was Is. 900, 900, and the immigration
since then had been 4,334, 900, 30
that, without including the children
born Of foreign parents since 1880.
there was now in this country for
eign population 10, 430, 600, or nearly
one.third Of the entire popul alton
This disclosed the enormous assrac
tive force exerted by this on tbs in
habitants Of Europe. He had lately
visited Castle Garden, in the pot OF
New York, where q vessel had just
arrived from Antwerp with 600 im
migrants, and the sight he had Wit
nersed suggested the doubt whether
this country possessed the transcend
ent power To ansform oil those in-
migrants into good and valuable An
erican citizens. He quo.ed the reply o.
M. Balfour to question in the House
Of Commons to the effect that tue
Government would apply no more
money TO that purpose during the re.
mainder OF the year. This, be said
was negative pregnant with sugges.
tion. Mr.. Balfour had not said that
parishes or neighbors should not aid
emigration. At the end of the yea
emigration might be aided by the Brit
ish Government again unless the
Fishery Commission should implort
Mr.. Balfour to refrain from putting
briars in their path while cunning
diplomacy was going on here.
YOUNG AMERICAS DEMAND.
The paupers Of Great Britain mum
bered very nearly round million
outside Of uDcounted vagrants and
casual paupers, who far exceeded the
number of so.called paupers. There
was too strong tendency in Europe
to regard the Uuited States az q cess
pool for the violent products Of the
Old World Provident husbandry
demanded that Young America
should not be wholly deprived of bis
birthright. The measure introduced
by him was intended to regulate i'm.
migration by scheme 80 moderate
as to receive general approval. 1t
would, of course, be referred to the
judiciary Committee He hoped tba
the committee would report measure
TO cbeckmaie the gross imposition
from foreign nations to which thi
country has been 80 largely subjected
He moved that the bill be refe rred t
the Judiciary COMMITTEES
Mr. Edmunds suggested that th'
subject more properly belonged to th'
Committee on Foreign Relations, anc
he moved that reference The latter
motion was agreed to.
UipIinaf;oy, ~ fDau n. IJiIIrat n